Outdoors
Mountains twenty minutes away
City hills for an after-work walk, forest trails and river valleys within half an hour, and campgrounds up in Jianshi and Wufeng for the weekend. With drive times from Zhubei and the city.
Get outside- Question 1Where should I live?Hsinchu City or Zhubei, near the Science Park or near the HSR, a new tower or an older walk-up. The real tradeoffs, area by area.Where to live
- Question 2How do I get to work?The HSR station is in Zhubei, not downtown. Driving, scooters, buses and shuttles to the Science Park, and what rush hour does to them.Commuting to the Science Park
- Question 3What will life be like for my family?Public, bilingual and international schools, childcare, after-school, doctors, and what to do with the kids on a Saturday.Families and schools
Already living here? Skip to food, weekends and the outdoors.
The lay of the land
Two cities, one river, two stations called Hsinchu
Most confusion about Hsinchu comes from the map. Hsinchu City and Zhubei sit on either side of the Touqian River, and the high-speed rail station isn't where most people expect.
- Two stations called HsinchuThe high-speed rail station is in Zhubei, in Hsinchu County. Hsinchu Station on the regular railway is in the old city centre. A short train line links them. The HSR and the two stations
- A river down the middleZhubei is north of the Touqian River, Hsinchu City is south of it, and the bridges between them are where rush hour bites. Hsinchu City or Zhubei?
- The Science Park is not one placeThe main park sits on the edge of East District and Baoshan, and the bureau runs other sites too. Know which gate you're going to before you choose a home. The Science Park commute
- The hills are closeTwenty to thirty minutes east, the county turns green: Hakka towns, forest trails, river valleys and campgrounds. The outdoors near Hsinchu
Getting around
A car and scooter city, with a fast train to Taipei
There's no metro here. Most residents drive or ride, the HSR covers Taipei and the south, and the regular trains and buses fill the gaps. Here's how each one fits.
- HSRHigh-speed railThe station in Zhubei, trains to Taipei and the south
- WORKThe Science Park commuteBy car, scooter, bus or shuttle, area by area
- TRARegular trainsThe West Coast, Liujia and Neiwan lines
- BUSBuses, bikes and scootersCity buses, YouBike, licences and parking
- FLYTaipei and the airportTo Taoyuan Airport and Taipei by train, bus or car
- TRIPA business tripArriving, getting to the office, eating after work
All of it, in order. The getting-around guide
Life outside work
The wind, the noodles and the hills
Hsinchu is more than office parks and towers. Here's what fills the weekends.
Food
What Hsinchu eats
Wind-dried rice noodles, meatballs, persimmons and Hakka cooking.
Get hungryNeighborhoods
Zhubei, up close
The HSR district, the county-hall area and old Zhubei.
Meet ZhubeiDay trips
Neiwan and the little train
A branch line into the hills and an old mountain village.
Plan the dayWith kids
Weekends with the kids
Parks, the zoo, museums, rainy-day plans and holiday camps.
Plan a SaturdayEverything in the guide
Find your way around
- 01Moving HereWhere to live, renting, your first 30 days, costs, Hsinchu or Taipei
- 02NeighborhoodsZhubei, East District, the old city and the county towns
- 03Getting AroundHSR, trains, buses, scooters and the Science Park commute
- 04Living HereHealthcare, groceries and shopping, the weather
- 05Families and schoolsSchools, childcare, after-school, camps
- 06FoodMust-eats, Zhubei, Hsinchu City, night markets
- 07WeekendsThings to do in the city and Zhubei
- 08OutdoorsHikes, camping, the coast and cycling
- 09Day tripsNeiwan, Beipu and Emei, Xinpu and Guanxi, the mountains
Who we are
Written by people who know Zhubei
We're Vicky and Jason. Vicky grew up in Tainan; Jason has lived in Taiwan for around a decade, several of those years in the Hsinchu area, mostly in Zhubei. This guide is what we'd want a friend to read before moving here: checked facts, honest tradeoffs, and the places worth your weekend.
More about usFrom the inside
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